Darrell Issa: Getting to the bottom of IRS patriot games

House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, center, at a committee hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 15, 2013. NEW YORK TIMES PHOTO

I never thought "patriot" was a dirty word, but, apparently, the Internal Revenue Service begs to differ. The IRS finally admitted this past week that its auditors have been targeting conservative political organizations seeking tax-exempt status for extra scrutiny and review. Groups with the words "Tea Party" and "patriot" in their title were targeted, as were political-action-type organizations involved in limiting government and educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Like something out of an Orwell novel, auditors were also instructed to flag groups that made statements criticizing "how the country is being run."

In a country that places the utmost value on free speech, nothing could be more disturbing. For the government to single out political groups based on their ideology or criticism of the current administration is more than "inappropriate" – it's reprehensible and, possibly, criminal. I am deeply concerned about the chilling effect this is sure to have on the political speech and participation that is the hallmark of our democracy.

If anyone thinks this is an issue that affects only conservative Americans, they are mistaken. The IRS has a long history of being used as a weapon against political enemies of the president. Franklin Roosevelt used the agency to snoop on his potential challenger Huey Long. Misuse of the IRS was the second article of impeachment drafted against Richard Nixon. Today, it may be Tea Party activists, but tomorrow it could anyone who doesn't agree with "how the country is being run."

None of this would have been discovered if my friend and colleague on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, had not pressed the issue. Last June, after hearing complaints from conservative groups who were facing extra scrutiny, Rep. Jordan and I requested a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which was released May 14.

According to the report, senior IRS officials knew about the political targeting as early as 2011, yet they publicly and repeatedly denied that it existed. When finally forced to admit that the targeting had taken place, Lois Lerner, IRS director of exempt organizations, tried to place the blame solely with lower-level employees in one IRS office in Cincinnati. However, we know that similar practices were taking place in multiple offices – including in Laguna Niguel – and that at least two officials in Washington, D.C., were aware of it.

What we don't know is: Why or when the targeting started, and how widespread it was. Most importantly, we do not know who is responsible for giving the orders and who decided that lying to the American people was a good idea. The inspector general report makes it clear that the IRS suffered a massive management failure, but saying that is not enough. The individuals responsible for this egregious violation of the American people's rights must be clearly identified and held accountable.

A full investigation is necessary to get to the bottom of the political targeting by the IRS. That is why, as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, I will convene a hearing Wednesday, May 22.

All Americans deserve an open, honest and transparent government that works for them, and we will make sure that the IRS is not exempt.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, is chairman of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee.

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